. . . Kerrie L. Carlisle Palmer

Just A Breath Away

It was a hard day. But. It was a good day. Hundreds came to honor a man who died suddenly and too soon. In the midst of sorrow, there was celebration for what his life stood for on earth and for the life he now has in heaven.

The thing is . . . it’s difficult to let someone go . . . even when we know heaven is close by, a dimension next to us, just a breath away.

There’s so much we don’t know about heaven, but I do know it’s remarkable and stunning. When I was in my early twenties, I had a friend in her nineties who explained stepping into the dimension of heaven was like being born again. It makes sense to me; I’ve been present at many births as well as deaths. Entering and leaving have many similarities, both mysterious and miraculous.

I can only imagine the moment I take my last breath on earth and step into heaven. I have no doubt the first thing out of my mouth will be something like, “Are you kidding me? This is awesome!”

I’m sure I’ll be blown away by leaving earth and entering heaven. So. I’ve planned my funeral. Why wouldn’t I want to have the last word? Anyway, I want a party with great music, funny stories, and lots of cake. And, I want balloons to drop to celebrate that I’ve stepped in, I’m alive, and I’ll be experiencing more than what has been imagined. Heaven is well worth considering:

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth (Colossians 3:1-2, NLT).

Heaven is just a breath away . . .

It’s impossible to think of our last breath without gratefulness for the new life ahead. Think about the dimension of heaven and celebrate. It’s a place of new life beyond anything imagined.

Day 11 of 40-days of intentional gratefulness: Grateful to know there’s more to come in heaven than what can be imagined . . . and . . . it’s just a breath away.